Shawnee Love   •  
March 2, 2012

One of the complaints I hear often from business owners is that today’s employees have no work ethic. Interestingly, this complaint doesn’t just refer to rolling in 30 minutes late, or “stealing” time while facebooking.  What seems to concern my clients the most is the lack of ownership their employees demonstrate. Instead of taking responsibility for mistakes or pushing to get something done because they said they would, employees come up with excuses, blame others and sometimes deny knowledge of the obligation in the first place.

This lack of accountability drives business owners crazy.

I believe we all “own” this problem, but as I learned in Psych 101 many moons ago, a “diffusion of responsibility” exists when there are many people around to take action.  Furthermore, the groups that could have a great deal of influence in this area (educational institutions, governments, agencies, etc.) don’t seem to know what to do or are so worried about the individual’s rights that they are scared to back initiatives for the greater good of society.

I learned that recently when I complained about a radio ad for a debt consolidation company.  The radio ad voice over was done by Alan Thicke, a respected Canadian icon, who states “everyone has to compromise in a struggling economy, including the people we owe money to”.  This statement burns my britches as a mother who wants to teach her children good ethics and as a business owner who expects to be paid the full price for what I sell.

What I hear Alan saying is “go ahead and make a purchase and don’t pay for it”.  Maybe I am old fashioned, but I always thought that was stealing. Like my clients, I long for the days when it was common for individuals to take responsibility whether that included owning up to mistakes, paying debts, or finishing what they said they would.  If you want to move your business towards those “traditional” values, here is what I advise:

1. Be the change you want to see. i.e. role model the behaviours and values you expect in others.
2. Talk about your values and expectations and ensure employees have concrete examples of how to meet your standards.
3. Support and recognize people, companies, and ideas that reflect your ethics and values.

If that doesn’t work, you can always blame Alan Thicke.